


the web we've spun

by lunarlunch



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-02-10
Packaged: 2018-03-11 14:11:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3329201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarlunch/pseuds/lunarlunch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Machi/Pakunoda one-shots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Machi should check the mirror more often.

“You’re not wearing your hair down today?”

Although Chrollo’s tone was casual, his question filled Machi’s stomach with dread. Some of it crept up her throat and she had to swallow it down before answering.

“No. Why?”

Without looking up from his book, Chrollo pointed to a spot on his neck. Machi followed suit, her face burning even before she placed her fingers over the bruise, the remnant of a particularly painful bite. The heat intensified when she caught Pakunoda smirking at her from across the room, enjoying her victory.

Machi thanked their leader and yanked out her hair tie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A true 100 word drabble. I'm fairly certain I wrote this while listening to Hyuna's "A-Talk" mini, thus the title.


	2. stay on your feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Machi can’t leave without saying goodbye.

Machi stepped over a snoring Nobunaga as she entered the beach house's living room. What had once been the nicest place they had stayed in as a group was now thoroughly trashed. Empty beer cans and food containers littered the floor, the glass door leading to the deck was shattered, and there was a large hole in the wall above the TV where Shalnark was still playing a video game. Sprawled out on the floor behind him was Uvogin, while in the far corner Shizuku and Franklin slept side by side against the wall. 

Without looking away from the TV, Shalnark asked, “Are you leaving?”

“Yeah. Chrollo asked me to run an errand for him.”

On screen, the car Shalnark had been controlling passed a finish line and the words "Level Complete" flashed over a replay of the final moments of the race. It was then that he finally turned around.

"Wanna play a game before you go? I have some easy ones."

"I'll pass," Machi said as she threw her bag over her shoulder and headed towards the stairs. Shalnark considered pointing out that the door was the other way, then shrugged and pressed the button for the next level.

Unlike the downstairs, the upstairs was bright and untouched. Pushing open a door at the end of the hall revealed that Chrollo’s room was no different. The white walls glowed with the morning sunlight while a salty breeze blew through the room. Under the open window, the room’s sole occupant was reclining on a small couch. Her sandals laid near a wardrobe where they had been kicked off the night before and there were creases in her dress from where she had slept on it. She didn't react the Machi's presence at all. 

Much like a pilgrim at a shrine, Machi approached Pakunoda. She knelt next to the couch, listening to the steady breaths which shook the hair that had fallen across Pakunoda's before leaning closer. They were mere inches apart when Machi caught a slight twitch at one side of Pakunoda's mouth, the shape of her lips too close to the beginning of a sly grin to be involuntary. Accepting that she had fallen for the trap, Machi waited for Pakunoda to open her eyes and release the full smile.

“I thought it was you.”

Machi shrugged, “I wasn’t trying to hide.”

“Sure.” Pakunoda closed her eyes once again and murmured, “Here to say goodbye?”

Machi replied by pressing her lips against Pakunoda’s nose. She pulled away with some reluctance, taking a moment to gaze down at Pakunoda before slipping away as quietly as she had come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The additional tumblr tags for this were: "the hole in the wall came from uvo throwing a game controller through it" and "chrollo's room was the brightest in the morning but the darkest at night"


	3. experience points

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Machi and Pakunoda spar.

The moment her knuckles connected with the side of Pakunoda’s nose, Machi knew she hadn’t held back enough. Pakunoda stumbled backwards, first touching her nose, then the blood that ran over her lip and dripped onto the dirt floor. If they had been fighting for real, the attention she placed on her stained fingers would've been fatal. But since they hadn't, she only had to look up when Franklin threw her a towel and the observation that Machi had got her good.

"You’re right," Pakunoda said to him as she put the towel to her face, wincing when it touched her nose.

"I’ll go find some ice," Franklin said.

As he lumbered out of the warehouse, Machi and Pakunoda headed towards the crates of loot he had been watching them from. Although the adrenaline from the fight was still rushing through her, Machi maintained her usual uninterested tone as she asked, “Is it broken?”

"I think so."

"I knew I should’ve aimed somewhere else," Machi said, crossing her arms and turning her face towards the warehouse entrance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pakunoda shrug.

"And I should’ve blocked in time," she said. "It doesn’t matter now."

"I guess not."

Pakunoda removed the towel from her face and sniffed. Her nose was already swelling up and underneath her nostril was a faint smudge of blood.

"Looks terrible, doesn’t it?" 

Machi nodded as Pakunoda sniffed again and reached for her bag.

"Don’t feel bad about it," Pakunoda said, pulling out a compact. "We both know you're stronger than me. It was just a matter of time before something like this happened.”

Machi watched Pakunoda inspect her nose in the mirror before leaning back against a crate and staring at the rusting metal bars above. 

“Are you done sparring with me, then?” she asked.

Pakunoda snapped the compact shut, wrapping her fingers around it as she rested her hand on her lap. Any trace of the pain she was feeling suddenly disappeared as she turned towards Machi.

“Do you think a broken nose is enough to scare me away?" 

Pakunoda eyes dared her to even suggest it was. Machi kept her expression neutral, only looking back at the ceiling when Pakunoda's gaze softened and she put the towel back under her nose. 

Machi sighed.

“Just learn to block faster,” she said. “Breaking bones isn’t exactly my idea of fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the question: "Has your ship punched each other in the face?"


	4. fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's rare for Machi to get sick. Luckily, she has someone to take care of her.

The front door swung open before Pakunoda had even put her foot on the front porch.

"What took you so long?" Uvogin demanded.

"It takes a while to make this many burgers," Pakunoda said, shoving a large fast food bag towards him. Uvogin snatched it away and moved aside so that she could come in. As he made his way back to the fireplace, he opened the bag and tossed two burgers at Nobunaga. The rest he kept for himself, eating the first one before he even sat down on the floor.

"You want some?" Nobunaga asked, glancing at Uvogin as he devoured two more burgers.

"No," Pakunoda said. She looked around the room and into the adjoining kitchen. "Is Machi still sleeping?"

"Yeah," Nobunaga said. "I think she's sicker than she let on."

Pakunoda hummed in response, then dropped the rest of her bags on the floor next to him.

"They don't sell alcohol in this country so there's only soda." 

Although both Nobunaga and Uvogin groaned, she heard the hiss of escaping carbon as she left for the hall. The rest of their noises became muted with each step she took towards Machi's room. By the time she gripped the door handle, she was standing in complete silence, surrounded by Machi's aura. She let it become reacquainted with her own, then entered the darkened room to find Machi curled up on the bed in a thin blanket. 

Machi watched her through heavy eyelids as she closed the door behind her and walked to the bed. She bent down to push Machi's hair away from her face, keeping her fingers entwined in it as she placed her palm on her forehead. The heat confirmed what she already knew. 

"Have you been drinking anything?"

Machi shook her head.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

When Pakunoda returned with a cup of water and a wet cloth, Machi was sitting up, the blanket shoved towards the end of the bed. She was wearing an over-sized shirt and her hair was messier than usual from a restless sleep. Pakunoda attempted to fix it as she handed Machi the cup and sat down next to her, but gave up when she couldn't flatten a particularly unruly strand. 

"How long have I been out?" Machi asked after taking a few sips.

"Only a few hours."

Machi downed the rest of the water and gave the cup back to Pakunoda. She stared down at her hands, swaying a little before she finally laid back down on her side.

"I need a few more," she said.

"The plan got moved up to tomorrow night. You can rest till then," Pakunoda said as she pressed the cloth to Machi's forehead. She held it there for a few moments, then removed it and put it against Machi's cheek. 

"Lay on your back so I can get the other side."

Machi mumbled an 'okay' and did as Pakunoda said, her eyelids fluttering as the cloth touched her other cheek. They were closed before Pakunoda had reached her neck, remaining that way as she placed the cloth back on Machi's forehead. Pakunoda drew her hand back, taking a moment to gaze down at Machi before she stood.

"I'll be back to check on you."

She put the blanket over Machi's legs before she left the room. When she returned to the living room, Nobunaga and Uvogin were arguing over who had been the crucial factor in winning their last brawl together. Pakunoda ignored them, kicking the crumpled fast food bag into the fire and walking over to the window. Like the house they were staying in, the neighboring buildings were falling apart and mostly abandoned. The street lights had long burned out, but the moon was bright enough for her to watch a small animal wander around their yard, which she did until Nobunaga declared he was done talking.

"How's she doing?" he eventually asked, his tone sour. 

"Not good, but she'll be better by tomorrow."

Nobunaga exhaled loudly and put his hands on the back of his head, saying, "I hope I don't get it."

"I hope you do," Uvogin said. "Then we'd get a break from your whining."

"Whining? What're you talking about?"

As the new argument broke out, Pakunoda turned back towards the window. She hoped she was right about Machi getting better soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to write Paku running her fingers through Machi's hair and it morphed into this. To be honest, it feels like a redux of 'Stay on Your Feet', but I think they're different enough that it shouldn't be a big issue. I'd also like to mention that this is the first time I've written Nobunaga! I don't know why it took me so long since love that guy and he gets almost no attention?


	5. coming up for air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rock shows aren't for everyone.

Machi's words were drowned out by the electric guitar solo, but Pakunoda could guess what she had said when she pushed off from the wall and began to make her way into the crowd. Pakunoda lingered in their spot long enough for the solo to end before following her, ignoring a few glares from people she squeezed past them. She caught up to Machi just as she was exiting the club.

"You didn't have to come out with me," Machi said once they were on the sidewalk. 

"I was bored," Pakunoda said as she tucked her hair behind her ears to keep it from blowing in the wind. "That band's no good live."

Machi raised her eyebrow in disbelief, then headed towards a bench opposite the club and sat down. Pakunoda joined her after bumming a cigarette. She took a long drag and slowly exhaled before offering it to Machi, who turned it down. They remained silent, listening to the music that drifted onto the street until half the cigarette was gone.

"We don't have to go back in if you don't want to," Pakunoda said. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she said. "I bet that cafe down the street's probably less crowded than here." 

"Sounds good," Machi said, standing up. She waited for Pakunoda to flick the cigarette into the street and they set off side by side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be part of a longer story, but at the moment it works better as a ficlet.


	6. sunday drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pakunoda and Machi hitchhike.

"When you asked if I wanted to go for a drive, this isn't what I had in mind."

Pakunoda, thumb out and her shirt unbuttoned far enough that anyone driving by could see the edge of her black lace bra, simply shrugged. 

"I thought you didn't care what we did."

"I don't. I just think it would've been easier to steal a car than to hitchhike."

"I have a plan," was all that Pakunoda said before a white luxury car pulled over. Machi supposed she'd have to wait for a clearer answer as Pakunoda walked towards the open window and bent down to talk to the driver, a middle-aged man in a business suit. They exchanged a few words before Pakunoda, still wearing the shy smile she had been using on the man, beckoned Machi over. While Machi got into the back, Pakunoda thanked their driver again and opened the passenger door. 

"So Kaodol, huh?" the man asked once Pakunoda had closed her door. "It's a little out of the way for me, but I guess it'll be alright if I take you two there."

"We appreciate it," Pakunoda said. Already, her voice had lost some of its sweetness, but the man didn't seem to notice as he pressed down hard on the gas and merged back onto the highway. 

As they sped along, Machi crossed her arms and leaned back while Pakunoda engaged the man in small talk. Where did he live? What did he do for a living? Were there any spots in Kaodol they should visit? To each question, the man gave a long, rambling answer. At one point he apologized for it, explaining that he often got lonely on these long commutes and that he was thankful for the company. Although it would've been easy to tune out his words, Machi continued to pay attention, waiting for Pakunoda to put her plan into action. 

The moment came when Pakunoda asked the man if he was married. 

"Oh, yes," he answered. "Ten years now. We have two daughters."

Pakunoda touched the man's hand where it gripped the gear shift. 

"Can you tell me more about them?" 

While the man spoke, Pakunoda's expression became strange. She stared down at the center console, listening as if the man was telling her where to find buried treasure rather than how his younger daughter had won a spelling bee recently. He was getting to the winning word when Pakunoda turned away and opened her purse, pulling out a gun. 

"Pull over," she said. The man opened his mouth to ask her to repeat herself, then jerked the wheel violently when he saw the gun pointed at him. As he pleaded for her to put the gun down, he somehow managed to move the car back into the lane they had been driving in.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Despite his shaking and the tears welling in his eyes, the man was able to pull off the highway and put the car in park. He turned towards Pakunoda with his hands up.

"Please don't kill me," he whimpered. Pakunoda's only reply was to pull back on the gun's hammer. "Oh please, please don't kill me. I'll give you anything you want!"

Pakunoda smiled a little as she listened to his pleas, her eyes wide as she rubbed her finger over the trigger. She kept her finger there when she finally spoke.

"Get out out of the car."

"Of course, of course."

As the man scrambled from the car, Pakunoda turned to Machi. 

"Do you mind if I drive?"

Machi shrugged. "I don't care."

"Okay," Pakunoda said before she got out. Machi had just moved up to the passenger seat when Pakunoda slipped into the driver's side and shut the door on the man's crying. She adjusted the seat before putting the car into drive.

"You're not going to take his wallet?" Machi asked.

"I got what I wanted."

Machi put her feet up on the dashboard as the car accelerated, then glanced over at Pakunoda. The gun was lying across her lap and she was gripping the wheel tight enough for her nails to dig into her palm. Her eyes shone bright from the thrill of threatening the man.

"You didn't just want to hitch a ride to mess with some guy, right? What happened when you touched him?"

Pakunoda took her time answering, busy with weaving through traffic, gaining more speed with every car she passed. 

"I've been working on my nen ability," she said. "When I touch someone, I can see their memories." She paused, taking her eyes off the road long enough to give Machi a teasing look as she put a hand on her thigh. Machi stared at her coldly, but didn't move away.

“Don’t worry, I can’t do it all the time,” Pakunoda said, taking her hand back.

"Good to know."

"And what about you?"

Machi held her index fingers up and concentrated on creating a thread between them. She moved her fingers apart to stretch the thread, then pressed them back together. 

"Like a real spider," Pakunoda remarked. "What're you going to do with it?"

It was now Machi’s turn to be vague. Pretending to be more interested in the flat land outside the window, she said, “Next time we stop, I’ll show you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Titled "hitchhiking baby" in my docs. I wrote this after getting the image of Pakunoda hitchhiking stuck in my head.


	7. touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pakunoda and Machi have sex.

"Paku."

Machi’s voice is as steady as the fingers working her clit, her tone serious enough to make Pakunoda open her eyes. Machi is looking down at her and, although her gaze isn’t soft, she isn’t scowling, either.

"You’re thinking too much again."

Pakunoda answers by running her hands up Machi’s thighs. How can she not? Every time they do this, she remembers what they did last and where and when they did it. And she sees glimpses of their younger selves, back when this all felt as dangerous as their work, when neither of them could keep such straight faces. She even imagines the future, hoping her hunches are as right as Machi's and that they'll keep coming back to this, together.

And above her, in the present, Machi just sighs and kisses her hard enough to bruise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second fic I ever wrote for the pairing.


End file.
